


Three Months

by thelostbutterfly



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, One Piece AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-17 01:50:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3510698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelostbutterfly/pseuds/thelostbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Law saved Luffy from his attempted suicide, the two decided to travel aimlessly, enjoying each other's company. Within three months of being together, they learned each others' pain: pain that revolves around life and death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This is the very first FanFic that I wrote. And of course, it's a LawLu one. But don't expect lemony stuff here, because as I have said, this is my first time. I'm still experimenting. Maybe on the next stories. 
> 
> As much as possible, I research stuff first before I post here. But of course, mistakes are unavoidable (especially on medical concepts) so please bear with me. Comments are very welcome, though. :)
> 
> And oh, the disclaimer part. Of course I don't own One Piece. I'm not Oda-sensei. I just borrowed his characters to make this FanFic.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy the story.

The sweet breeze of ocean touched his pale skin. It was cold, but somehow, it gave him a sense of comfort. Not far away, he could hear the waves hitting the shore. Above him were the stars shining so bright, away from the lights of crowded cities. It was a perfect night to stroll, well  _almost_  , if only his mind was not occupied by disturbing thoughts.

Three months.  _Three fucking months_.

Law drank the last drop of beer on his hand. He should have brought more, he realized. He needed to forget, as if forgetting will change everything.

But he didn't feel going back to the hotel. He decided to go to the shore.

As he reached the shore, he was surprised to see a pair of sandals and a worn straw hat on the sand. What were those doing there? Who in the world would swim in almost freezing water, in the middle of the night? As he inquired in his mind, he saw a figure on the sea, walking farther and farther away.

**"Shit!"**

Law suddenly realized what was happening. The person, whoever he was, was trying to drown himself to death.

Not having a second thought, he removed his jacket and plunged into the water, trying to get the person back to the shore.

 **"Hey! Stop! What the hell are you doing?!"**  Law screamed on the top of his lungs. This seemed to be effective though, as the man stopped from going farther away. Law struggled to reach him, despite the cold water piercing his frail skin.

 **"What the hell-"**  He shouted to the man in impulse as he reached him, but was suddenly stopped when the man shouted.

 **"Who the fuck are you?!"**  There was a mix of anger and sorrow on the man's croaked voice.  **"Leave me alone and mind your own business!"**

 **"I don't know what kind of problem you have, but ending your life isn't the best solution. And I am not leaving you, not until you get out of the water."**  As Law said this, he grabbed the man's arm as he tried to pull him back to the shore.

 **"And what do you know, huh?! What the fuck do you know?!"**  The man moved his arm away from Law's grip.  **"Fuck off!"**

The man started moving away, but Law didn't give up. He grabbed the man's waist, using his remaining energy to stop him. The man struggled, but gave up eventually. He faced Law and started crying, this time with more grief.

 **"I wanna die, I wanna die, I wanna die!!!"**  Law can't help but feel really sad for this man. This man was so determined to end his life, and this made Law wonder what kind of problem this man was facing. He hugged him as that was the only thing he could do to comfort him. He did not release a word; he let his touch speak to the man. This might help, he hoped. He let the man cry and cry until he calmed down.

Realizing that they were still on the sea, Law released the man from his arms.  **"Everything is gonna be all right, okay? We should go now."**

Good thing the man came back to his senses. They both went back to the shore, bearing the water that was freezing their bones. As they reached the shore, they stumbled on the sand. Law felt very tired, but at least they're safe now.

 _At least the man didn't end up killing himself_ , he thought.

* * *

 

Next morning, the man woke up, feeling a little dizzy. He scanned the room; same curtain, same wallpaper, but definitely not his room. Where is he? Di he enter the wrong room? As he touched his chest he realized that he was  _naked_... well, his lower half isn't. Good. On a desk at the side of the bed, he saw his clothes neatly folded, with his beloved straw hat on top of it.

 _His_  straw hat.

He remembered what happened last night.

Suddenly he felt his stomach growling. That's it. He missed dinner and midnight snack; he needed to eat. A lot. He was in an unknown room, probably the room of the  _fucker_  who pulled him out of the water, and his body ached to the bones, but more importantly, he was very, very, hungry.

**"So you're-"**

**"Fooooood!"**  The man screamed, and this startled Law as he entered the room.

 **"Oh, hi! Do you have food?"**  The man stared at Law for a few seconds, and then asked again for food.  **"I'm reaaaaally, reaaaaaaaaaaally huuuuuungry!"**

Law can't fucking believe this. Last night, he was dealing with a suicidal man who seemed to lose everything. But now, the same man was acting like a child, seemingly  _oblivious_  about what happened last night. Did he even remember what happened?

**"Well?"**

**"Here. I prepared a vegetable soup to warm you up. Hope it tastes good, though."**

The man ate the whole bowl of soup in one gulp.

**"Meaaaaat! I want meaaaaat! Man, I'm really hungry!"**

**"Well, there's still some soup-"**

**"But I want meat... not just vegetables."**  The man pouted.

 _What the hell?_  This man was probably the most bipolar person he has met in his entire life. And he certainly acts like a child, though he really looks like one. Or a teenager, perhaps. This man has round eyes, wild raven hair, a face that looks so young and vibrant if not only for the cries he witnessed yesterday, and an old scar below his left eye. And oh, there's also this huge scar on his chest; a wound that seemed to had healed only _recently_.

His thoughts were disturbed by the whining of the man.

**"Okay fine, I'll buy pizza as lunch, so shut up, will ya?"**

**"Really?! Great! Oh, I'm Luffy by the way. And you?"**

**"Law. Trafalgar Law."**

**"Hi Traffy! Shishishi, nice to meet you!"**

_Traffy?_   What a ridiculous nickname, Law thought. But something got his attention more. Yes, the man, Luffy, was now smiling to him from ear to ear like a sunshine in the morning. But there was something out of place.

His  _eyes._

No matter what Luffy did, he couldn't hide the sorrow visible on those two brown eyes. 

He wondered what happened to make this innocent-looking boy decide to end up his life.


	2. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A talk about sunset and why things can't stay forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updating late (I was busy due to academic stuff), but here! I tried my best to pull off the next chapter. The pacing is a little bit slow, but it's necessary haha. Hope you'll like it!~
> 
> Also, there'll be a bit of manga spoiler stuff here (just a name, though, but yea). So read with caution? Haha.
> 
> \--------------------
> 
> As much as possible, I research stuff first before I post here. But of course, mistakes are unavoidable (especially on medical concepts) so please bear with me. Comments are very welcome, though. :)
> 
> And oh, the disclaimer part. Of course I don't own One Piece. I'm not Oda-sensei. I just borrowed his characters to make this FanFic.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy the story. :)

**“Man, my body hurts!”**   Luffy exclaimed as he stretched his arms.  **“So Traffy, are you gonna buy pizza now?”**

 **“Your eyes…”** Law mumbled, loud enough for Luffy to hear.

**“What?”**

**“Huh? Ah, sorry. What was that again?”** _Damn._ Law felt embarrassed for letting Luffy hear what’s on his mind.

**“You said you’re gonna buy pizza, right? Shishishi, what’s wrong with you?”**

_I am the one who’s supposed to ask you that_ , Law thought.  **“Seems you’re really hungry, huh? Fine, just take a rest for a while and wait for me.”**

As Law went out of his room, his mind lingered again on what happened yesterday. What if the man would attempt to kill himself again? Would it be safe to leave him there  _alone_? Law was conflicted but decided to go buy pizza, anyway. He also needed to eat; he hadn’t eaten a good meal since yesterday. Besides, Luffy’s hunger seemed enough to dismiss the idea of suicide. Hopefully.

* * *

 

When Law went back to his room, he was relieved to see the man lying comfortably in his bed. During their conversation while eating, he learned that Luffy was 19—seven years younger than him. He was also staying in this hotel, three floors below, and just checked in two days ago. Apparently, not one of them dared to talk about what happened last night. They were both occupied with the food, or they probably just wanted to dismiss the topic forever.

  **“Sngwnau-omom-doiynhr-omom?”** Luffy asked while munching a big pie of pizza.

 **“Eat first, alright? You’re disgusting.”** Law said as he watched the man talking while eating—or rather, devouring the poor pizza. Big munches of pizza. It seemed like the man hadn’t eaten for years. His mouth was also covered with ketchup and crumbs. Really disgusting, but undeniably  _cute_. Hell, what was Law thinking? He immediately dismissed the silly thought.

  **“Beeeeelch!!! Oops, sorry! I said, what are you doing here? Vacation?”**

Few seconds of silence lingered the room.

 **“Yeah… you could say that.”** Law stared at the cream wallpaper covering the walls of his room. He’s not lying, technically.

**“You wanted to escape, don’t you?”**

Law was surprised by the sudden serious question. He wasn’t expecting that, given that the man was happily eating the whole pie of pizza. But Luffy had been unpredictable for the last twelve hours, so he shouldn’t wonder. _If only I could escape_ , he said in his mind. But no one could escape what’s bound to happen, right? No matter what he did, even if he tried to hide in the deepest part of the world, he couldn't escape from the waves of time. These waves, surely, were just waiting for the proper moment to drown him into _nothingness_. A life’s tragedy.

**“No, I’m not escaping. I’m just here to enjoy the beach, that’s all.”**

Luffy made a sound of disappointment.  **“Meh, so you’re just like those typical people out there, huh? Boooooring…”**

Law couldn’t help but chuckle at the statement. Yes, he was right. He’s practically boring…  _As boring as a dead person._

But the next words that came out from the teenager's mouth made his heart skip a beat.

 **“But… I like you.”** Luffy said, innocently.

Dumbfounded, the older man gave Luffy a confused look. A really confused look.

**“What? I said I like you! Because you bought me pizza. You’ll buy another pizza tonight, right?”**

Because of pizza. Yeah, right. Of course there’s no other reason. What a simpleton.

A smile formed on Law face. A warm smile, that hadn’t been present for a while. This man, who he saved yesterday, was giving him a weird, unfamiliar feeling inside. How could a man, whose eyes were tainted with sorrow, make him feel this warmth? It felt like a spark that was starting to create a flame inside his almost frozen heart.

 **“Yes, I’ll buy another box.”** How could he refuse?

**“Really?! Then make it three, extra large! And oh, I want meat overload, ‘kay?”**

_Do you have a bottomless stomach or something?_ Law almost wanted to protest but agreed anyway. If that would make this man satisfied, then so be it.

What a pain in the ass.

* * *

 

It was 5pm when Law was awoken by his alarm.  He made a cup of strong coffee to dissolve the remaining grogginess in his head. His body was still aching, though; he hadn’t slept in his bed since last night. His body couldn’t handle much stress anymore. Managing to save Luffy from freezing water was actually a fucking miracle.

As he remembered about the teenager, he went to his room to check him. To his surprise, only the scattered sheet of blanket and two pillows remained in his bed. The boy was gone. On the desk, the clothes were gone, too.

_Where are you?_

Law suddenly felt a burst of panic in his head. He tried to calm himself, but the thought of Luffy missing was enough to make him sweat. He immediately dressed up and went to Room 308, Luffy’s room.

  **“Luffy! Are you there?”** Law knocked many times.

There was no answer.

No answer probably meant no person was inside the room… or no person _breathing_ was inside the room.

The thought made Law frantic.

 **“No, no, no! Luffy!!!”** He banged the door loudly many times, trying to dismiss the idea of a dead Luffy inside.  When he got tired of shouting and knocking, he decided to go ask the hotel management for the room’s key and see if Luffy was inside. He made one last bang on the door when a kid appeared from the next room.

 **“He’s not there.”** said the sweet-looking girl, who was eating grapes off her fingers.

Law was relieved to hear this. He felt foolish making a scene, but the embarrassment was not important at the moment. **“You know Luffy?”**

 **“No, but I saw him went out just a few minutes ago. Now go away, you’re noisy.”** As the kid said this, she went back to her room and closed the door loudly.

 _How rude_ , Law thought. There she went, a child with a really sweet-looking face but with a stern attitude. Another person full of irony.

At least Luffy’s not inside that room. Damn, why did he even care about that guy, anyway? He’s a total stranger, and a problematic one. He already had enough problems, and dealing with more would make him die _early_. But reasons are not important; he would not allow Luffy to kill himself.

Law believed that no one should ever think about ending his or her own life, no matter how shitty or fucked up it was. Everyone should be _grateful_ that they were still alive, still breathing, and having the chance to be happy.

But unfortunately, some people weren’t as lucky as the others. Some didn’t have a choice. They couldn’t escape, no matter how much they like to stay…

 _Why do some people want to die so bad when there are people out there who are dying, but fighting so hard just to see the next sunrise?_  

* * *

 

Law found Luffy sitting on the shore, toes almost touching the water, eyes fixated on the red horizon.

 **“Luffy!”** Law ran towards the man. Exhausted, he sat beside him. **“What are you doing here? Why did you leave without waking—“**

 **“Why are you so worried about me?”** Luffy interrupted, eyes still fixed on the sunset.

 **“I’m just…”** He was also asking the same question to himself, but he can’t think of a better answer. Lost for words, Law just kept his mouth shut. Unfortunately for him, Luffy won’t let him.

**“You’re just what?”**

**“Nothing.”**

**“Bullshit.”** said Luffy, calmly. He looked at Law and noticed that his cheeks were red. Red from embarrassment or sunset, Luffy had no idea.

Law was trying his best to suppress the awkwardness he was feeling. The once calmed man, known for his enigmatic composure, was now acting like a feeble teenager in front of a stranger. No apparent reason. He’s just embarrassed to admit that yes, he was so damn worried about the boy he just met. He was so worried about the boy who might try to kill himself again.

 **“I’m just afraid,”** Law finally admitted, **“that you might actually do the same thing yesterday.”**

 **“You’re afraid that I might have actually killed myself?”** Luffy laughed loudly as he said this. Law stared at him, wondering what was amusing on what he said. He was fucking serious here, but here he was, facing an idiot who thought the whole stuff was hilarious. **“So what if I kill myself? It won’t affect you in any way, am I right? So nosy.”** And there Luffy went again, laughing at the whole matter.

But he had a point. Luffy killing himself won’t affect Law in any way. Or would it?

Few more laughter from Luffy then silence lingered on the two for a few minutes.

**“You know what? I don’t like sunset before. I mean, look at it, it was just the sun disappearing in sight because the Earth is rotating and stuff… do you get what I mean? It’s so boring, nothing is amazing to it.”**

_Then why are you here, watching the sun as it disappears,_ Law thought. He kept on listening though.

 **“But my brother…”** Luffy continued, **“was always saying that it’s beautiful. The big red dot, the changing color of the sky, the silhouette of things behind it… he said that they were so _romantic_.”**

Brother. So he _had_ one. Law couldn’t help but ask about this brother of Luffy, but tried his best to not pry. Besides, seeing the man being sentimental is somewhat… _refreshing_.

 **“How about you, Traffy? Do you think the sunset is beautiful?”** Luffy asked.

On the horizon, Law could see one-fourth of the sun dipped on the endless, calm sea. The color of the sky was ranging from rusty orange to bloody red, and the clouds added a dark but enchanting ambience to the whole scene. The warm feeling was reciprocated by the cold touch of breeze, giving him a relaxing feeling… an internal peace. The sunset was indeed beautiful… no, more than beautiful. It was indeed _romantic_.

Law smiled; it was a smile that reminded Luffy of the way his brother smiled while gazing at the magical sunset.

**“Now, I can understand why Ace loved the sunset. It still sucks, though.”**

_Ace_. So that was his brother’s name. **“And why is that?”**

**“Because the magic will only last for a few minutes. It doesn’t last forever. Later on, it will be replaced by darkness.”**

**“But you can see it again on the next day. You just have to wait.”**

**“But,”** Luffy closed his eyes as he talked, **“why can’t it stay forever? Why… does it need to disappear?”**

On the surface, Luffy might sound like a spoiled brat asking for an impossible thing. But Law knew better; deep down below, he could sense what Luffy is getting into. That is because he himself knew the feeling of asking for something to not _disappear_.

**“Sunset may not last for too long, but you may still enjoy the stars that come afterwards.”**

Law suddenly remembered an incident a few years ago, while he was still practicing cardiology.

 **“Three years ago,”** he continued, **“I met a man that changed my life forever. His name was Rocinante, but he preferred to be called Corazon.”**

The sun finally disappeared from their sight, but it was immediately replaced by the stars, acting like glitters on the lonely splash of night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the little girl described here is Sugar. Just added her here as a very minor character. :)


	3. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law talked about the man who made him smile and changed his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I made it to Chapter 3! Sorry for taking it too long, but I am hoping that you guys still enjoy it.
> 
> \--------------------
> 
> As much as possible, I research stuff first before I post here. But of course, mistakes are unavoidable (especially on medical concepts) so please bear with me. Comments are very welcomed, though. :)
> 
> And oh, the disclaimer part. Of course I don't own One Piece. I'm not Oda-sensei. I just borrowed his characters to make this FanFic.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy the story. :)

Most people became doctors at the age of 26. But Law, being a prodigy since childhood and having both parents as prominent doctors, had achieved this dream at the age of 23. Sadly, both of his parents and his sick younger sister died because of a large fire accident in Flevance. He was 22 years old at that time and living in a dormitory near his medical school. This had been the first tragedy of his life—his family had left without him having a chance to say goodbye. When he returned to his hometown, he was greeted by three burned corpses; faces unrecognizable, embraces never to be felt again. He would never see their smiles again. He was alone in this world, shattered, unmotivated. But he continued living, anyway. And he graduated as a cardiologist who healed the hearts of people, _physically_. It’s pretty ironic, because his heart needed its own healing, _emotionally_.

After a few months of practicing cardiology, he met a man that changed his life. He was one of Law’s first patients; one that died two years ago, but left Law a smile that broke a surface of sadness in his heart.

 **“Corazon… He was one of the most important people in my life.”** Law closed his eyes as he fondly recalled the man he was speaking about. In his mind, he pictured a blond-haired man with a really weird makeup: blue sets of triangles below his right eye and red paint on his lips, extending up to his cheeks. He wore a polo shirt with heart patterns in it, khaki jeans, a dark red hood from which two heart-like shapes hang from, and a dark purple feathery cloak. He’s a ridiculous man, indeed, at least on the looks. Add the fact that that man was so clumsy he always slipped on the floor and almost burned himself while lighting his cigarette with a lighter. **“I was a doctor—a cardiologist—when I met him. He was one of my patients, and certainly the weirdest one I have ever met. And he seemed to have an obsession with hearts, that’s why he liked to be called Corazon.”**

Luffy looked with a glimpse of interest at Law. Interest with the story or with Law, he didn’t know. But for now, he was willing to listen to this man, even though his stomach was already grumbling. **“The Spanish term for hearts, right?”**

 **“Yeah. Ironically, he suffered from a heart disease...”** Coronary heart disease. A common heart illness, and is one of the most common causes of death to people. **“He had come to me many times to let me diagnose him, but most of the time he was just there to annoy me. He said he wanted me to smile because I looked lonely. It’s effective though. Thanks to him, I managed to live this mundane life, and even learned to love it.”**

Law laid his back down on the sand and gazed at the million stars. Luffy did the same, too, but his eyes were on Law instead. To be honest, he was having a mental (or stomach) battle right now; he was very, very hungry already, but he didn’t want to ruin the mood. He was a man who would choose food in almost any circumstances, but the man in front of him was interestingly making him to put aside any thoughts of hunger for now. This man, who he was annoyed to for saving his life, was making him feel something unusual. He enjoyed hearing Law’s story. Or _his voice_ , perhaps. That smile painted on a seemingly cold person, but surprisingly warm on the inside, he enjoyed looking at them. His stomach might be empty, but his heart was being filled with something more worthy than food.

**“Is it okay… if you tell more of his story?”**

**“Sure, if you are willing to listen.”**

* * *

* * *

_Almost three years ago…_

A 23-year old Law was busy organizing a ton of medical records of patients on his desk. He had just finished performing a heart surgery. He was new to the hospital and the youngest in fact, but because of his reputation, the administration had put a big trust and responsibility on him. He never complained anyway, verbally at least, because only weak people do that. One hour later, he would perform another heart surgery. That’s the second for this day.

 **“I see we’ve got a new doctor here, huh?”** Law was surprised to hear someone talking. Removing his eyes on the files, he saw a strange, tall man, leaning on the door frame.

 **“Could you knock first before entering? What do you want, Mister?”** Law said, annoyed because his work was disrupted. Besides, he was pretty sure that the sign outside his door showed that the doctor is “out”. He looked at the man from head to toe, and first impression screamed that this man was sick in the head. Who would wear a cloak in the middle of summer? An idiot, perhaps.

 **“Grumpy are we, Doc? I just wanna had my check-up. It’s your job, right? And for the record, I did knock but you didn’t hear it.”** The man stuck a cigarette in his lips and lighted it. But then…

**“Hey, you know you can’t smo—YOUR CLOAK!”**

As the man lighted his cigarette, his cloak was caught by the lighter’s fire.

 **“What?”** Said the man as he stepped inside Law’s room, seemingly unaware of his cloak on fire.

 **“You’re cloa—.”** Law wasn’t able to finish the sentence when the man suddenly tripped over. Legs on the air, ass on the floor. It was hilarious, to be honest. But Law had no time for such craziness. He was so fucking busy and this man just disturbed his _peace_ like a fucking storm… on fire.

 **“Aww man, that hurts. I’m Rocinante anyway, but you can call me Corazon.”** The man, Corazon, tried to stand up, only to stumble again… on the desk, scattering the organized medical files on the floor. Even Law’s treasured figurine, a polar bear given by his beloved younger sister, was dropped on the floor. Good thing it didn’t break; or else Law would totally break the guy’s neck.

 **“Fuck, my files…”** Law closed his eyes and touched his temples in frustration. He could feel his blood rising because of anger. He wanted to scream at the guy and kick his ass out of the room, but he controlled himself.

 **“I am sincerely sorry, really.”** Corazon said, chuckling. _Yes, he’s really, really sorry._ **“Guess you’ll need my help in reorganizing that stuff.”**

 **“NO, STOP! I mean, look, Mister Corazon or whatever, I’m sorry to say but I have an appointment, a heart surgery, in less than an hour.”** Law tried his best to calm himself. He was a doctor, after all. And in front of him was a patient, though he was not sure if the man entered the correct department. He didn’t seem to need a cardiologist; what he needed was a fucking psychiatrist to tighten the screw in his head. **“So, if you really need a cardiologist, you can go visit another doctor next room.”**

 **“Aww, that’s sad. My fault anyway, I haven’t set an appointment first, seeing that you’re busy.”** Corazon looked at the scattered files and chuckled again. **“Anyway, I can go back tomorrow.”** The man picked his cigarette on the floor and stuck it again on his lips.

 _What?!_ There were other doctors there, damn it, but why was this guy sticking on him?  And to sum it up, this guy was really losing his cool. But patients are patients, and he had to handle this one _calmly_.

 **“Guess it can’t be helped.”** Law sighed, defeated. **“Alright, as of now, my schedule tomorrow is free from 1 to 2pm. Is that time alright?”**

 **“Okay!”** Corazon smiled and gave a peace sign to Law. **“1pm it is. Thank you for your time, Doc. See you tomorrow!”** And there he went out of the room, sucking his cigarette and filling the room with disgusting smoke.

 _At last, the man finally disappeared,_ Law said to himself. Somewhat relieved, he started to pick the figurine on the floor and put it in its special place on the desk. Suddenly, he heard a loud bump and a scream outside. He didn’t need to look what it was; he was sure that it was that idiot tripping again.

 **“Corazon, huh?”** He wrote the man’s schedule on his organizer. He really needed a secretary to help him out. **“It’s gonna be an eventful day tomorrow.”** He sighed then started collecting the scattered files on the floor.

* * *

* * *

**“Shishishi, that was funny! You seemed like a grumpy old man!”** Here goes another idiot, laughing like there’s no tomorrow as he listened to Law’s story.

 **“I know, but I was really a composed man. And I still am.”** Law boasted. But right now, he wasn’t really feeling calm. His heart was beating fast just by hearing Luffy’s laughter. This man, like Corazon, could give him emotions that were the opposite of cold and loneliness. Happiness or madness, it didn’t matter, as long as he felt _alive_.

 **“Really? Then,”** Luffy laid down his body on his side, facing Law, with his head rested on his hand and elbow on the sand, **“why were you panicking just a while ago? Where’s the composed man you were talking about?”**

 _Shit, why was he asking me that question? And why was he looking to me like that?_ Law panicked. Strains of sweat started appearing on his forehead. The blush on his cheeks resurfaced again. They stayed like that for a few seconds, eyes looking at each other, bodies not moving even a single inch.

 _Blrrrrrrrr._ And there’s the sound of Luffy’s hungry stomach. _Saved by the bell._

**“You’re already hungry, aren’t ya?”**

**“Well, duh? But…”** Luffy tried to convince himself that he was willing to listen for more. **“You can continue your story anyway.”** But there goes another sound from his stomach, and he simply dropped his face on the sand.

Law knew that he needed to fill Luffy’s stomach already. In fact, it was a good escape for the awkwardness a while ago. And he was also getting hungry. **“Three extra-large meat overload pizza, is that all?”**

 **“Really? You’ll buy now?! Hurray!”** Luffy jumped in excitement. Food, finally. **“Oh, can you buy a bucket of chicken and some fries, too? I got hungry just by hearing your story. Not that I don’t like it.”**

 **“I know, I know. I understand.”** Law chuckled. If there was an eating contest around the corner, this man would definitely win. **“Do you wanna come with me?”**

 **“Nope. I like to be here. Don’t worry, Traffy. I won’t be going anywhere.”** Luffy gave Law a huge grin of assurance, with a peace sign on his hand. Surely, he won’t run anywhere, not without his food.

Butterflies appeared in Law’s stomach. _How dare he do that peace sign, just like Corazon?_ **“Alright. Wait for me.”**

Luffy looked at Law as he walked away. He smiled, but a tear had fallen from his eyes. He really missed _them_ so much. He missed _his brothers_ as they fight over food, _him_ scolding them but joining their ruckus afterwards, and _her_ laughing at their crazy antics. He missed _his family_ so much he wanted to die.

But Law came to his life, saved him from drowning, and now joining him to _celebrate_ this day. To be honest, he was thankful at Law, not only for saving him, but also for not giving up on him. He was thankful for Law for worrying about him, for giving him food… and also for this weird feeling inside his heart. They had learned very little about each other, but somehow their hearts understood each other. Maybe because they both loved somebody so much. Maybe because they were left alone in this world by their loved ones, due to some circumstances they couldn’t control. But there was something more about Law that was making Luffy drawn to him, something he couldn’t comprehend at this point.

Maybe he needed someone to _hold on_ to.

He put his straw hat on his face, covering his tears.

* * *

**“Luffy? Are you alright?”**

Law removed the straw hat from Luffy’s face. Luffy was a bit startled; he hadn’t noticed he had slept. How long did Law buy their food? Ah yeah, _food_. It must be long, for his stomach was already aching.

 **“Luffy…”** Law called again, because Luffy was just staring at his face, no response whatsoever.

Another rumbling from the boy’s stomach was heard. **“Man, I’m hungry. What took you so long?”** He sat down and put the straw hat on his head.

**“The line was long and the service was so slow. It took me almost one hour, I’m sorry.”**

**“Nah, that’s fine. Let’s go back at the hotel.”** Luffy took the three boxes of pizza to help Law, and then led the walk. **“I’ll stay in your room, is that okay?”**

 **“Sure, and if you want,”** Law followed Luffy, trying to gather the words he would say next, **“you can sleep in my room again.”**

Luffy was shocked but amazed by the fact that Law invited him. **“Okay! You’ll continue your story, right?”**

 **“If that’s what you want.”** Law was surprised to know that Luffy was still interested in his story. He felt that it was unfair though, because he was also dying to know what on earth had happened to him to make a decision of ending his life. But he decided to take things slowly. If his story would somehow bring comfort to Luffy, then he would be more than willing to talk about it overnight. What mattered is that the boy would be fine, and _guarded_ by him. 

* * *

 **“After few weeks with that man bugging me, I grew fond of him. I slowly realized that he’s not that… bad to be with.”** Law finished the slice of pizza in his hand and took another one. They were halfway on their food.  **“He may be weird, but his stories always made my day. To be honest, it felt like my day wasn’t complete without him showing in my office. Of course, I won’t admit that to him. But I didn’t need to tell it, because I know that he knew.”**

Luffy did not speak a word. He was too busy eating pizza on one hand and fried chicken on the other. Law knew that he was listening, though. He continued to share his interactions with Corazon, those that he would never forget. Many of them were pretty hilarious, but some of them were serious and deep.

* * *

* * *

It was Law’s day off when he and Corazon decided to take a walk on the sea coast of Minion. At this point the two were already close. Their relationship had grown from doctor-patient to being friends—or a father-son, perhaps.

 **“Why did you choose to be on this place?”** Law inquired.

Corazon puffed on his remaining cigarette and put the butt on his pocket. **“I always go here. I like the freshness of the wind.”**

**“If you want fresh air, then quit smoking. How many times do I have to remind you that smoking worsens your heart condition?”**

**“Easy, boy. It’s your day off for being a doctor.”**  The older man chuckled. Law just rolled his eyes. **“I’m drinking my maintenance, so I’ll be fine, right?”**

 **“Meds help, but proper health observance is also important.”** Law was about to say another thing when Corazon suddenly twisted his ankles and was on the verge of falling. Good thing Law already knew how to handle this kind of situation; he quickly grabbed Corazon’s waist to help him keep his balance. **“Jeez, you really have to do something about your clumsiness.”**

 **“You can’t blame me why I’m like this, you know. Heh, thanks for helping anyway.”** Corazon chuckled. _What a klutz._

When they spotted an empty cottage they decided to sit there for a while. Just like the other times when they’re together, Law shared his experiences and frustrations about his work. Corazon, on the other hand, would share some stories about him and his brother Doflamingo. Law admired the brotherly relationship of the two. He saw Doflamingo twice, and to his surprise, he also wore a feathery cloak but a pink one. Corazon explained that it was just their weird idea—they wanted to look different by wearing feathery cloaks in their favorite color. Corazon would also always say that his brother really look out for him despite being busy with work. He found his brother a bit mysterious, though, because he didn’t really know what kind of work Doflamingo was in. But he didn’t bother to ask because he had a big trust on his brother.

_How will it be like if Lamie was still alive?_

After series of chatter, Law asked Corazon about something he wanted to know the first time they met.

**“There were other cardiologists during that day when we first met… but why did you choose to bug me?”**

**“Does it really matter?”**

**“I don’t know. I just found it… weird.”**

Corazon laughed like the whole thing was hilarious. Then he lighted another stick of cigarette, putting the lighter far away from him (and his cloak). Few puffs and he looked at Law, straight in the eye.

**“Early morning on the day I introduced myself, I saw you sitting alone on the cafeteria, beside a window. You were drinking your coffee quietly.”**

**“You sound like a scary stalker, you know.”** He was, indeed, at the cafeteria that morning. More than a year had passed on that day, but the pain of losing his family was still vivid in his heart.

Corazon laughed to himself. **“Well, maybe. But the thing is you seemed very _lonely._ I wondered why. Then I heard a nurse calling you, saying there’s an emergency heart surgery something something. Coincidentally, I also needed to meet a cardiologist that time, so I came to you after the surgery.”**

 **“So you’re telling me that you came to me because I was lonely?”** Law thought it was nonsense. **“But… How did you know I was?”** He was confused, but he found himself amazed for Corazon knowing that he was, indeed, lonely.

 **“You had the same look as my brother.”** Corazon then explained that both of his parents died when he was 8 years old. His parents loved him and his brother so dearly, to the point of almost spoiling them, that their deaths really shook the children’s heart. Doflamingo, being the elder brother, tried his best to take the responsibility of taking care of him. **“He tried to appear perfectly fine when I was with him, but when he’s alone, I can see him staring at nowhere, wearing the same face that you had. I can even hear him crying in the middle of the night sometimes, up to now.”**

Law found it funny because somehow, he and Corazon had the same backstory. They both lost their parents. But the difference is that Corazon had a brother to lean on. Unlike he, who was alone and had no one to _cry_ on.

But he got Corazon now, didn’t he?

**“You’re not alone. You have me _now_.”**

Law opened his mouth in surprise. **“Are you a fucking psychic or something?!”** _How on earth can he read what’s on my mind?!_

 **“Why, did I guess what you’ve been thinking?”** The two looked at each other, and Corazon laughed. Law laughed, too, but deep in his heart, he wanted to cry. Not because of loneliness, but because of _happiness_ caused by this klutz in front of him.

Corazon stopped laughing and looked at Law seriously. **“You know,”** He moved closer to Law, who was finding the whole situation very, _very_ _awkward_ , **“you should smile more. You’re more handsome when you do that, you know.”** He patted Law on his head and gave his trademark peace sign.

Law hugged Corazon tight and cried like there’s no tomorrow. The tears he had been holding back had a shoulder to pour on now. Corazon hugged back, like a father caressing his little child.

* * *

* * *

The food was all gone and Luffy, with his now fat stomach, was already sleepy.

 **“So this heart-guy was a really good guy, huh? I wish I met him.”** Luffy yawned, and looked at Law, smiling. **“Aaaaaaahhhhhh, I’m tired. I’ll just get my things in my room and sleep here.”**

 **“Alright.”** Law smiled back and started cleaning the area.

More than ten minutes passed and Luffy was back. He was wearing red pajamas with white stripes, and was fresh from the shower. Law also took a shower and was just getting out of his bathroom, with his towel covering his lower body only.

Fine muscles greeted Luffy and he couldn’t help but stare at them. **“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t—.”**

 **“It’s alright.”** Law interrupted. He became aware of Luffy looking at his body, and he started to blush. **“You can sleep on my bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa outside.”**

 **“No! It’s your bed. You should sleep here. It’s big for us two.”** Luffy said, now trying not to look at Law who was getting dressed. He wanted Law to sleep on his own bed, but he didn’t want the idea of sleeping on the sofa, so he had to bear with sleeping _beside_ Law. There’s nothing _wrong_ with it, right?

Law, on the other hand, was stunned. His heart was beating fast, but accepted the offer anyway. Truly, there’s nothing wrong with sleeping with someone beside you. _Truly nothing, even if it’s Luffy._ **“If that’s… if that’s what you want.”**

 **“Shishishi. Then c’mon! We should sleep now. Look at your eyes, the circles are getting darker. You can continue your story tomorrow.”** Luffy said excitedly as he jumped on Law’s bed like a child.

Law lied down beside the guy, facing the ceiling. On the other hand, Luffy had his back facing Law. Few minutes of silence until Law decided to speak up. **“Luffy… still awake?”**

**“Hmm?”**

**“I was planning to check out tomorrow.”**

No response from Luffy.

Law wondered if Luffy was still conscious, but continued talking anyway. **“Do you want to… come with me? I just want to wander around.”**

 **“Really?!”**  Luffy rolled his body, facing Law. His eyes were gleaming with excitement. **“You want me to come with you?! Awesooooome!”**

**“But I have no plans yet on where to go next.”**

**“That makes it more awesome! We can have an adventure!”**

Law chuckled. He was happy to see Luffy, with the sadness from his eyes slowly being replaced by excitement. He looked at the younger guy fondly, and smiled.

**“He’s right.”**

**“What?”** Law asked.

 **“The heart-guy. You should smile more. You look more handsome when you smile.”** As Luffy said this, he rolled his body again, his back again facing Law. **“Good night!”**

Law was left dumbfounded. When he heard those words from Corazon, he knew it was a compliment—a father cheering up his son. But those words coming from Luffy had _something more_ in them that made his heart beat faster.

_What if?.._

**“Good night, Luffy.”** Law closed his eyes, with a smile on his face.


	4. Ferris Wheel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They ride on a grandiose Ferris wheel, gracefully rotating with its lights sparkling like precious gems. Romance Dawn. A surely fitting name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Presenting, the chapter 4 of Three Months. Glad I finally pulled this off. Hope you'll enjoy it.

More than an hour had passed since the two raven haired men left the Logue Beach. It was a Wednesday morning, and the air was a bit chilly. As of the moment they were driving on the Grand Line, a relatively new superhighway that stretches across the country. Law was the one holding the steering wheel of his dark gray pick-up truck. He looked tired, but the impact of cold air on his face helped him relax. On his right was Luffy, who a moment ago was babbling about the places he wanted to explore and how excited he was on the trip itself. But now, the teenager became suddenly gloomy.

 **“What’s the sudden shift of mood?”** Law inquired.

Luffy ignored Law and kept staring outside the window. On the right side of the Grand Line, the long, gigantic stretch of Red Line mountain range was painted on the background.

 **“You wanna go there? I heard the hiking spot there is good.”** Law was not a fan of physical activities, but if Luffy wanted to go hiking, he might give it a shot. Though half of him was hoping Luffy would say no.

He was expecting an enthusiastic answer from the teen, but what he received was dejection instead.

 **“Fuck that place.”** Luffy said without moving on his seat.

Law raised an eyebrow and wanted to know why, but he chose to not ask instead. There would be enough time for that. He hoped. At least he was spared from the tiring walk on steep mountains.

After minutes of awkward silence, they reached a stopover with a gasoline station and restaurants. Luffy, who’s supposed to be full due to eating a more-than-normal breakfast just two hours ago, got excited again at the sight of food.

**“Hey, Traffy! Let’s stop and eat.”**

**“We just ate a while ago.”** Law countered.

The teen looked at Law and pouted. The older man seemed to ignore him, but he slowly moved the car on the side. He needed to refill the gas, anyway.

 **“Yes! I know you won’t resist me.”** Luffy proudly said as he rubbed his stomach.

 _What a spoiled brat_ , Law thought as he rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help it. He chuckled, seeing how cute Luffy acted when it came to food. If only Luffy was as simple as that. But he knew that’s not clearly the case.

* * *

 

After refilling the gas, the two entered a cozy café to have early lunch (or for Luffy, some snack). There were other restaurants and fast food chains in the vicinity, and Luffy would prefer eating somewhere other than on the café, but he chose the café seeing that the other places were crowded and noisy. If it was just him, he wouldn’t mind as long as there’s food. But Luffy assumed his companion would appreciate having his meal in peace.

Law smiled as the scent of freshly brewed coffee entered his nostrils. The café had few customers—two other than them to be exact—and a nice piano jazz was playing on the background. He liked the ambience. He was surprised though, because he thought Luffy would prefer heavier food than this.

 **“Are you sure the food here will be enough for your monster appetite?”** Law teasingly said.

**“Well, obviously no. But…”**

**“But what?”**

**“I’m hungry.”** Luffy grabbed Law’s hand and headed at the counter.

Totally forgetting about the nonsensical answer from the teen, Law felt butterflies forming in his stomach. How could someone, with a hand so warm, casually hold his hand like they were not strangers just two days ago?

 **“Five orders of Tuscan chicken sandwiches, three blueberry muffins, and a large caramel frappe coffee!”** Luffy enthusiastically ordered. The cashier, who got blond hair and wore golden angel costume, giggled as she punched the orders. The name tag on her chest read “Hello, I am Conis” with the café logo at the top. **“How about you, Traffy?”**

 **“Uhh…”** Law was totally distracted at the grasp of warm hand that was contrasting his cold one. **“Anything, I guess. Espresso is fine.”**

 **“Geez, you’re so boring.”** Luffy scanned the menu above the counter **“Aha! Add two slices of caramel apple cake to give this grumpy old man some energy.”**

Conis continued giggling, thinking _how cute the couple is_. Law, on the other hand, had his cheeks already flushed. After receiving the payment, she gave a promotional pamphlet of a newly opened amusement park called the Sabaody Park—located a few kilometers away from this stopover—thinking the _couple_ needed some place to hang out. Visioning all the fun and thrilling activities that awaited him, Luffy tried to convince Law of going there. Law hesitantly complied as he was totally distracted by the hand firmly gripping him.

* * *

 

It was past 1pm when they reached the Sabaody Park. Luffy was more than excited to exit the car, but stopped when he saw Law taking some tablets.

 **“Traffy, what’s that?”** Luffy attempted to grab the bottle of tablets, but Law was fast enough to hide it.

**“It’s nothing.”**

**“Don’t tell me you’re sick or something…”** Luffy said with a hint of conflicting concern and disappointment on his voice. **“Hey, if you want to rest—”**

 **“I’m okay.”** Law interrupted, rubbing the hair of the teen. **“It’s just vitamins.”**

 **“You sure?”** Luffy managed to ask but didn’t wait for Law’s answer. He exited the car, opened the car door at Law’s side, and pulled Law out of the car. **“Okay, then. Sabaody Park, here we goooo!”**

Law’s mind became fidgety as his hand was being held again by the other man. But as his frail body was being pulled without mercy into the entrance of the park, he didn’t know if he made the right choice of inviting this teenager on his aimless escapade—or letting him inside his _tragic_ ending, perhaps.

* * *

  **“Traffyyyyyy! Where should we go first?”** Luffy was beside him, beaming with delight. He, on the other hand, was getting dizzy with all these death-defying rides.

Piercing screams scattered on the background; they were a combination of thrill and excitement with a hint of fear. The nearest source stood a few meters on their left—a towering structure with a gondola that carried its unfortunate riders into a free-fall despair, at least to Law’s eyes. Luffy, on the other hand, had his eyes shining on this majestic drop tower named _Skypiea_.

 _Don’t tell me we’re going to ride in there,_ Law thought. As if Luffy heard his thoughts, he seemingly retorted, **“We are not going to ride in there… yet.”**

True to his words, the teen continued walking forward until both of them stopped on a huge attraction featuring moving replica of dinosaurs and a backdrop of what seemed like a prehistoric forest. Mini boats made of wood were floating on an artificial river which flowed through the structure with a cave as the entrance. On top of the whole structure stood large letters in red color, spelling the words _Little Garden_.

 **“There! Let’s go in there first.”** Luffy hurriedly jumped at the end of the queue of the attraction’s booth, which consisted of mostly children, some with their guardians. The rest were apparently lovers, wanting to have a casual date surrounded by mechanical dinosaurs and fake trees. Seeing these people made Law thought of what others were thinking about them, too. Did they see them as lovers? _Can strangers immediately be lovers?_ But with Luffy giddily moving in front of him, it made him appear like a guardian guarding this kid instead. _That’s better,_ he thought. _I am just a guardian, the one who rescued him. I will make sure that he will not do it again._

_But… what will happen after?_

**_“Silly Law, just enjoy the moment! Live your life to the fullest!”_** Law smiled as he recalled Corazon saying those words, as if the man was presently at his side. The older man used to say that to him, because according to him, he was a very serious man who always plans his next move. And that kind of man is _boring_. **_“You won’t be truly happy if you’re always like that.”_** If only Corazon was still alive. He was sure he and Luffy would get along.

Law chuckled, closed his eyes, and forced to forget the melancholia that awaited his path. _Yes, Cora. For now, I’ll enjoy the moment._

* * *

 **“Today is so fun! It was a long time since I enjoyed a day like this.”** Luffy exclaimed with delight, but Law’s ears didn’t miss the hint of sadness on his tone. It was almost 7 pm, and the amusement park was lit with psychedelic lights. They were sitting on a concrete bench, with half-eaten ice cream on hand. **“Say, what ride did you like most, Traffy?”**

**“Nothing.”**

**“You liar! You’re screaming your lungs out on the _Thousand Sunny_. I know you’re…” **  Luffy faced Law with a mischievous smile on his ice cream-smeared face and stretched his arms, moving it from top to bottom. **“…thriiiiiiiiilled.”**

Law was definitely not thrilled, and Luffy knew this. He was screaming for his life as he was being swayed back and forth by the swinging sun-themed (or lion-themed, Luffy argued) pirate ship. That was the most extreme ride he had ridden (because he deliberately avoided those that might make him leave this planet earlier), and he tried to stay cool. But he just couldn’t.

 **“Well, the same can be said to you on that horror house.”** Law teasingly said. On that horror house, the _Thriller Bark,_ Luffy shrieked more than twice—out of surprise, he claimed.

**“That’s because the lady zombie is freaky! She’s throwing plates at me. The afro skeleton is cool, though. He’ll be a good friend! Much better if he can play violin.”**

Law snickered at the dumb remark. **“While those zombies are real people in prosthetics, the skeleton is obviously fake, dummy.”**

**“I know. I just though a musician skeleton is cool.”**

Law couldn’t argue. If he himself would see a skeleton that comes alive, he’d dissect some of its parts for medical study. It will be a breakthrough in medical history, and it’ll be _cool_. Maybe even if his pale skin and numb muscles deteriorated there would be a way in which he’d be alive, even in all bones. But of course, according to the long history of science, he knew that a living skeleton is just plain impossible. Skeletons simply can’t be resurrected. Dead people stay dead forever. Frankenstein’s story is just a horror classic fiction. Zombies are just a figment of imagination, or perhaps of science fiction. Being raised in a Catholic family, Jesus Christ is the only man he knew to come back from the dead—that is, if it’s real.

 **“Traffy?”** Law plunged out of his thoughts as the teen waved his hand in front of him. **“You seemed to be a little spaced out. Don’t tell me you’re tired. Man, you just sat down here like a weeny baby while I enjoy most of the rides.”**

 **“No, I’m just thinking what kind of idiot would push down a zombie back from its grave.”** Law retorted with a smirk.

**“Hmpf. At least I’m not a chicken.”**

Lacking of words to counter, Law remained hushed. Luffy seemed to appreciate the silence, too. It’s not an awkward silence, but rather a peaceful one, amidst the noise coming from every corner of the park. Luffy observed people passing in front of them, and he wondered what kind of life these people were facing. He hoped that the author of their lives was not a sadist who enjoyed seeing them facing so many catastrophes. His attention was then caught by the cotton candy stand, where a middle aged lady was buying three large cotton candies. She gave those fluffy candies to her three little boys, who appeared to be triplets. _Must be hard raising them at the same time,_ Luffy thought with a bitter smile on his face. The triplets hugged their mom, and they walked away with Luffy’s eyes following them. On their way was a large circular ride, decorated with shining, romantic lights. Seeing the serene ride gave him an idea.

 **“Which reminds me, I won! Now you have to do one thing I tell you.”** Luffy suddenly exclaimed, as he recalled their deal a while ago.

 _Oh, shit. He remembered._ Law almost sank to his seat. To blame was the _Automata Attack_ , a shooting-based dark ride where they had to shoot space pirates with a laser gun in order to rescue weird-looking moon inhabitants that looked like a mole. They had a gamble on _who shoots most, gets one dare on the other_. The final score was 21-8, in favor of Luffy.

 **“Not that drop tower, please.”** Law dryly said, almost pleadingly, to the teen beside him. Good thing Luffy had other things in mind.

 **“No, silly. I already rode on that. And I don’t want you _dead_.” ** Luffy stood and held Law’s hand, attempting to pull him again. **“Come on, follow me!”**

Throughout the day, Law counted how many times the teen held his hand. Ten times. No, eleven times. This was the twelfth time, and he was getting used to it. So used to it, in fact. Luffy seemed oblivious at the matter, but Law honestly didn’t want to let go.

He was surprised when he saw the grandiose Ferris wheel, gracefully rotating with its lights sparkling like precious gems. _Romance Dawn._ A surely fitting name.

Then it dawned on him. Luffy wanted both of them to ride the Ferris wheel. That was his _dare_. Being nearer on the ride made him realize how high it was, but he forcefully prevented his nausea from ruining this moment. And of course, he had to fulfill the dare.

**“Scared?”**

**“No. Let’s go.”** Law led the way, with his hand still holding Luffy’s.

* * *

 _Romance Dawn_ moved slowly, in intervals, as its every capsule was being filled by passengers. The silver capsules were not like the capsules of modern Ferris wheels; the surrounding windows are open, without glass covers. The outside air can freely travel inside. It’s good for claustrophobics, but much worse for people who were afraid of heights—or afraid of falling, to be exact. Unfortunately, Law was one of those people. Good thing these apparently durable straps secured them from their seats. A capsule can carry at most five people, but Luffy preferred him and Law to be alone. This made Law happy.

 **“This thing moves so slow.”** Luffy complained, as their capsule was still at the lower part of the circle. **“I wanna be at the top already.”**

**“Of course it’ll move slow. They are still loading people below. Besides, with this pace, you’ll enjoy it once we reach higher.”**

**“Why can’t our capsule stay at the top, then?”**

Law smiled. There Luffy is again, seemingly spouting nonsense statements. But he knew there’s an underlying reason. He too, sometimes, asked those kinds of metaphorical questions. **“Because that’s how life works. You can’t always stay at the top. But you won’t always stay at the bottom, either.”**

Luffy seemed satisfied at the answer. **“So I just need to be patient, huh?”**

**“Perhaps.”**

The Ferris wheel moved again, and they were halfway near the peak. Luffy could now see the long stretch of sea far away. **“My brothers used to say that I am impatient. I wished before for my birthday to be every day, because waiting for a year is too damn long. For me, my birthday was the most special day of my life. We went to different places, have fun and stuff, and I want it every day… That was before, though. I hate my birthday now.”**

Law was glad at the fact that the boy started sharing about himself. _Brothers?_   _So it’s not only Ace. What happened to them?_ **“Why?”** he inquired.

 _Why?_ _For reasons I don’t want to remember,_ Luffy answered in his mind. His attention shifted on the other side of the horizon, where the Red Line was visible. His eyes started to become watery. **“Yesterday… it was my birthday.”**

Law’s eyes widened. It hit him hard when he realized Luffy tried to kill himself on the day before his birthday. He tried to think of possible reasons why a nineteen-year-old person would do that, and realized it was connected to his brothers. It made him hungrier to know what really happened, but looking at Luffy’s eyes, he knew he had to be patient. Let him open up.

 **“It’s so sad, knowing that the most important day of my life became my misery.”** Luffy continued. **“I should have ended everything the day before. Let my birthday not be stained again. But you interfered. I should hate you for that, though I give you the credit for staying and letting me join you. That’s why now,”** he paused, unsure whether he should speak the next words but did it anyway, **“I held you responsible. You stopped me from breaking free on this fucking life, after all.”**

Law couldn’t speak after what he heard. A lump was forming on his throat. _Held responsible?_ He did not regret saving Luffy. He would do it again, given the same circumstances. He even asked him to join his pointless roadtrip. But maybe that was his mistake. He’s the one who let Luffy inside his life. But he couldn’t just let him wander alone and attempt ending his life again, could he?

There is no backing up now. He’d do what he could to make Luffy forget, to make him happy. He would think of the underlying circumstances next time—even though he barely had _three months_.

 **“And that… is your dare.”** Luffy’s expression turned to 180 degrees. He was beaming now, like there was something exciting on what he said.

**“I thought the dare was to ride here.”**

**“I haven’t said anything about that. It’s you who led me here, remember?”**

While it’s true that it’s him who pulled Luffy into this ride while assuming this was the dare, it’s Luffy who implicitly suggested the idea. Or maybe he got caught by _Romance Dawn_ ’s beauty that he wanted to experience its graceful rotation.

 **“Your hands are cold. Don’t tell me you’re scared.”** Luffy impishly said, while glancing at their holding hands as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

 _Oh yeah, our hands_. _How long they have been like that?_ But instead of flinching, Law gripped harder. This made Luffy smiled warmly, eyes locked on his. Their fingers slowly interlocked, affirming his acceptance of the dare.

They remained like that for a few minutes until they reached the peak. The view from the top was so enchanting that even Law couldn’t help but feel amazed. City lights served as dainty stars on land. The real stars above became more vibrant. People and structures below looked smaller than ants. _What distance can do on things_ , Law pondered. Time is also the same. The farther the time and distance, the more unreachable the things become. But the difference is, in distance—in space—you can go back. _In time, you can’t._

That’s why memories have to be cherished. And Law would make sure he would leave good memories.

People continued filling the Ferris wheel’s every capsule until all were occupied. The two dark haired men talked about their day, delivering soft but genuine laughters. _Romance Dawn_ revolved continuously, gracefully, as it lovingly carried sweet memories from all its passengers.

* * *

It was surely a tiring day, so Law and Luffy decided to stay in an inn for the night. Their shared room had a minimalistic design, with a bed fitting no more than two people. The bathroom was smaller than the standard, with a few cracks on some tiles, but was clean nonetheless.

Luffy, after changing his clothes, immediately went on to bed and dozed off. Law went inside the bathroom to take a quick shower.

He felt relaxed as warm water touched his skin. Though in the mirror, he could see his thin body covered with abnormally white blotches. It started on his chest. Then it spread on his trunk, back, arms, and legs. He was glad these marks could be covered with clothing, but he knew they would consume his whole body soon. Disgusted, he swiftly dried himself, wore long-sleeved shirt and pants, and exited the bathroom.

He lay down beside Luffy, careful not to wake him up. But instead of sleeping, he just stared at the white ceiling. He was tired. His body was tired. But his mind kept racing with thoughts, thoughts that made him smile like a fool and thoughts that made his heart sank with loneliness. They were like a solution, and Law couldn’t just pick up and separate what he wanted to keep and what he wanted to dismiss forever.

He wanted to keep Luffy. Even though they only knew each other for three—no, less than three days, he was certain that there was something special about the boy that drew him close. But then the other side of his brain was screaming that _no, he must not_. He couldn’t decide which part of him was more rational.

He felt a hand touching his chest. It was Luffy, eyes half-awake.

**“My brothers… they used to tuck me at night.”**

Law needed not to be told directly. He pulled Luffy against him and hugged him tight.

 **“Happy birthday,”** he muttered.

Luffy snuggled his head against Law’s chest and cried.


End file.
